I can't believe I am going back to California after nine years. I went for about three days 8 years ago but this will be my first time to ever go back and examine my old life. These days no one I know can imagine me the way I was, and, in fact, I can scarcely recall it with any vivid details myself. I am so far removed from that. The new creation in Christ looks at life before--and some during. Santa Maria is the greatest curiosity. That is where everything happened. I was arrested, ran away from home, in juvenile hall, you name it and it happened in Santa Maria, CA. And now I am going back. I only have a few friends still there, none of whom I have been in touch with in years. My newest friend is an old friend, my old juvenile probation officer. We are sending emails, growing closer. We have discovered our spiritual similarities. She is the one who took me to church camp the year I got saved, but now we have both, at some point, been filled with the Spirit; now we are rediscovering each other. It is very interesting.

I have already begun packing. Shorts were first. Old shorts in smaller sizes. They will never recognize me. I was so fat when I lived there. Truly obese. I will return in a chunky body, but certainly not that of Fat Girl. My mass of unruly hair is gone, replaced with a short sophisticated look that will probably keep them from recognizing me at all. I will go to places I lived, schools I attended; I will look at the old through new eyes. I expect I will have great God encounters through all this. I also hope to have a blast and see David, Jenna, Diane (I hope, I hope!), Carolyn (the juvenile PO) and others.

I am testing my new blogging skills (thanks, Halley Jo), but plan to extensively chronicle while on the road. So I guess, thus far, this is only a test of the Susan Blogging System.